Record Store Day 2013

Every year, Jeremiah and I go to RSD. It's an actual thing, for those that might not believe me. And it's sort of a big deal. It's Jeremiah's favorite holiday.

Seriously.

Artists release limited batches of their albums - some of them are numbered, some of them are colored vinyl, some are rereleases...it's awesomeness. And for those who are like, "Who buys records anymore? People don't even buy CDs!" all I have to say is, where have you been? Records now days can sometimes come with the digital download right inside it - a little bonus and thank you from the artist for buying their stuff. So you get an awesome sounding album and the digital compressed stuff for your ipod. For usually around the same price that you would pay to buy the digital version online. At first I didn't believe Jeremiah when he said records sound better but they do. Truly. They do. 

We joined the line at about 8:30 and enjoyed the smells wafting around. I call it the 3Ps: Pot, patchouli, and perspiration. This year we chose to start at a different record store and I mostly only smelled the pot. A little less patchouli and perspiration. Small steps should be celebrated.

Jeremiah and I go in with a plan. He shows me a picture of every album he wants and/or I want. I'm good with that. He takes a list. He's good with that.

Nine o'clock, the doors open. People surged forward. I honestly thought I might die, but people were cool and there was no pushing. At one point though, I might have said to Jeremiah, "This is not how I want to die!"

We got in, and followed our plan. He went straight to the back of the store (they spread things out on tables throughout the store) and I stopped up front. Here's the thing about being a girl. And being a bit short. And being one of only a few girls at the store. Boys don't get in my way. I can weasel my way up to the front, ducking under armpits and maneuvering myself this way and that. Plus, I'm a teacher (I'm used to no personal space.) and a veteran shopper. Trained by the best. Eye on the prize, I get what I want.

We met up at one point - I had a shit ton of records that we wanted, he had a few.  He was all, "Thank GOD you got that! And this one! And this!"

At this point we had: Joan Jett, White Stripes, White Stripes in Rockabye Baby, Dave Brubeck, Cal Tjader, No Alternative, Rocket From the Crypt (?) and a side by side (single). 

You are welcome, Jeremiah.

We were still short a Black Keys, Wings, Mumford & Sons, Soundgarden, Porno for Pyros, Pink Floyd, Mad Season, many side by sides, and Eisley. 

We separated again and I started following this guy who obviously was rethinking the Soundgarden. I stalked him all over the store. Hobble step, hobble step, hobble step. The second he set it down, I literally lunged through a crowd and grabbed it. Mine.

Wings was captured the same way. Someone set it down, and we lunged for it.

Some of these records there is only one or two copies - for example, there was only one Pink Floyd in the whole store. And the guy that got it was a douche. I am pretty sure his ultimate goal was to sell it on Ebay. What an ass.

We met up again and got in line to check out. We got our limited edition reusable bags and t-shirts and we were on to the next store.

Of course, nearly an hour and a half had passed, so it was slim pickins. Jeremiah was able to find the Mad Season and the Mystery Side by Side.

I gave up on Eisley (both stores said that they did not get a copy) and the Pink Floyd (because, one copy? Really?) and then on the Mumford & Sons. I was determined to get something by Mumford & Sons because I wanted them to be my mystery purchase for the year. I had heard a twenty second clip and was going to buy their RSD release. Instead I just bought their album Babel which came with digital downloads.

Here's my stash:

I got the Rockabye Baby (instrumental White Stripes) because I thought it would be awesome to have a baby that got to listen to White Stripes. It's red vinyl. The White Stripes is two albums, one is half red and half black, the other is white. The Wings is "Maybe I'm Amazed" four times - super high quality. Joan Jett is yellow vinyl.

I also was getting ready to leave and went over to Jeremiah who was talking to a guy and Jeremiah said to me, "Did you know _________________ had a RSD release this year?" and I was like, "Ohmygosh, no!!" and the guy held up his copy, which of course, there weren't any more of. And then, he gave it to me. So I bought it for my dad. That secret release is not in the above picture.

Jeremiah's mystery side by side (which you don't know until you open it) was Grateful Dead, Dr. John, and Dixie Cups doing "Iko, Iko" on clear red vinyl with splashes of blue. Freaking awesome.  Mostly because I love the song and now we have four versions of it (I have Cyndi Lauper singing it, too).



Also, I am in LOVE with Mumford & Sons.

LOVE.

I laugh, I cry, it moves me, Bob. Seriously, I told Jeremiah last night that I had stories that I imagined happening along with the songs. There is such a driving beat, it is SO TOUCHING.

So I just like to share. I know other people may have already heard of them and probably love them, but there are some people like me that sometimes miss things. So in case you have missed them:

You can thank me later.





If you are interested in my past mystery/new to me purchases, they are a Florence & the Machine single (2012) and a red Kings of Leon single (2011). I think that was my first year doing the mystery to me thing. Totally worth it.

ETA: Jeremiah was into records BEFORE it was trendy. He actually worked for this company that was featured in the Wall Street Journal and was the guy's only employee for years. I just thought I would share that. I hopped on board when we started dating. I did it because he wouldn't let me take CDs out to my car anymore because I didn't take care of them. So for us, him specifically, this is NOT hopping on a new trend or about being cool. Jeremiah loves music. No, he is crazy about music. It's like water for him. Or like beer. I just felt like I needed to clarify. Maybe because I love him because he isn't about being trendy. That's pretty freaking awesome.

It's Like I'm Dr. Dolittle.

Before I injured myself and doomed myself to weeks in a cast, I had been going to the gym regularly. I loved it.

While Jeremiah put my purse in the lockers every evening (I don't like lockers. Or shopping carts.), I would look out the huge windows out onto the pond with the fountain. And ducks. Lots of water birds.

And hand to my heart - on one of those evenings, I meowed.

"Meow."
 
Because sometimes I meow at home. You know, to my cats (This is normal, right?). But I did not realize in the moment that I was in public and people don't actually MEOW in public and there was a slight chance that the lady sitting in the comfy chair reading her book might hear me and think I was a little cray-cray.

Because, you know, I meowed. 

Just FYI - there is no playing it cool after that. Once you meow in public, it's best to just leave the immediate area.

Happy Friday!

Only Got Twenty Dollars in My Pocket

If you know me or have been reading for awhile, you know that I am a thrifter. Almost everything in our house? Second hand. It started out of necessity. I moved here to Arizona with two cars worth of stuff - and that did not include dining room furniture, a couch, chairs, or a bed (for the record, I would never buy a second-hand mattress. Just...no.).

I needed stuff and I was not exactly swimming in money. So I started shopping at Salvation Army and Goodwill. With my Subaru, I could haul everything. Seriously. You know. Everything.

When we bought the house, we needed to fill it. As I mentioned, nearly everything is second hand. And we like it. We like to think we make it look good. At least to us. Some pieces we refinish, some we just clean up, but it has been fun slowly adding things to our house over time, instead of getting everything all at once.

Friday a cool thing happened. YHL, a blog that I read, decided to have a thrift store challenge. It was based on this song by Macklemore & Ryan.



I love that Leona is in that video. She was also featured on the front cover of Martha Stuart's Living a few months ago. Everyone loves them some giraffe. You can read about how I found Leona the Giraffe here. And you really should. It is one of my favorite posts.

The challenge is this: Take twenty bucks, go to a thrift shop, see what you can get. Also, take a picture of yourself with something mentioned in the song.

So here goes:

 The first stop we made was the Salvation Army. It was raining in Phoenix, and while I generally like the rain, I've been fighting something (again.) and was not going to stand in the rain while Jeremiah perfected his shot. So here it is. From inside Hazel.

 My found object was this mustard yellow (or as my brother would call it - Felicia Brown) Samsonite ("Oh! Samsonite! We were waaaaay off!") piece of luggage. Mostly I thought - this is some ugly shit. But at the same time, I was like, "I could totally buy this and never have to grab the wrong piece of luggage at the airport carousel again."

I got a few stares while posing with the suitcase.

Salvation Army was having the one year anniversary of their store remodel, and it was freaking packed. Mostly because everything was fifty percent off, but also because they were grilling hot dogs in the rain. You don't really have a Plan B here in Phoenix in case of rain. You just don't.

Anyway, I bought three books at a quarter a piece. The bottom three on the pile above.

Remember my pig head that I have had for years?

I totally found his water-loving friend! He was only two bucks, and he is so ugly that I love him. One of his eyes is slightly darker than the other, which is endearing. If a fake white duck head can be endearing. And I think that they can be.

Total spent: $2:75

Our next step was Goodwill, and it was packed and everything was also fifty percent off. I scored a Jones New York 3/4 length grey boatneck shirt, a light grey dressy tee, and a pair of long navy sporty shorts. I would show pictures, but all clothes are being decontaminated at the moment. I also got the rest of the books in the above picture.

My total spent at Goodwill: About $12.00.

Jeremiah walked up to me while I was searching and said he had found a belt. Apparently he has been looking for a casual black belt (I am sure at one point I told him his black leather belt was too dressy for some of his pants/shorts. That totally sounds like something I would say. With love, of course.) Anyway, he strolls up and says he's found a belt and it looks brand new. Had I ever heard of this brand? Holds up the tag. It's a Patagonia belt. This one, actually. He was excited to learn that he could open a beer bottle with it. Thirty dollar belt. Jeremiah's total: $2.00.

I didn't have any huge or super exciting finds (besides my duck and books), but I still like seeing what's new and what bargains are available. I can't really narrow down any particular favorite or best find - Leona was definitely up there. I have also had some great clothing finds and some great furniture finds. Like the tables I got for $1.25 each and refinished. Jeremiah has had some incredible finds - including $100 pants and ties for just a couple of dollars.

So there is my response to the challenge. Anyone else do the challenge? Anyone have a favorite thrift shop find?

Wake Up in the Morning Feeling Like P Diddy.

No. No I don't, actually.

I imagine that his mornings are glorious. 

I wake up feeling like crap. I can't figure out if it is allergies, sinusitis, or a sinus infection.

Every single morning I am hoarse and it feels like someone has shellacked my throat in snot. I know it sounds gross, but believe me, living it is even grosser. I am an over-sharer, but I will NOT tell you what happens when I start coughing (I just threw up in my mouth a little while thinking about it.).

Crappy as I feel, there have been some great soundbytes happening this week, and I will be damned if I am going to be negative right now.

So please enjoy these conversations that have happened over the course of the week. Warning - some of them are not appropriate. They are the opposite. They are inappropriate. And childish. If you aren't ready for this jelly, you may want to skip this one.

J: What did you have for dinner?
E: A delicious breast of chicken with a sweet sauce and some grilled pineapple.
J: What did your friend have?
E: Tuna tacos...ohmygosh. Tuna tacos. How hilarious. They did not call them that at the restaurant. They called them Ahi tacos. With a special areola sauce.
J: Excuse me?
E: Aioli sauce. But we had a slip of the tongue and it became areola sauce...or nipple sauce. Tuna tacos and nipple sauce! Hold on I need to text her and let her know that her dinner tonight was hilarious.
J: And you are how old?
E: Looking up while texting - Apparently I am twelve. And a boy.

E: I told Jeremiah that you had tuna tacos with nipple sauce! I almost wet my pants.
Friend: How did we not catch that?
E: I continue to giggle as I think about how your dinner had all different lady bits in it.
F: I am nothing if not comprehensive in my dining.

Coworker: I kind of want to touch you. That shirt is fabulous.
E: You can touch me. I have been touching myself all day.

E: She shows symptoms of being a meth user.
C: I agree. It's like, "Hey, I've seen those teeth before!"

C: Venting to another coworker: Do you know how much time Emily and I spend together? A lot. Ten to twelve hours a day. I see her more than Jeremiah does. We're basically married.
E: It's true. I came home the other day and Jeremiah was like, "You look different..." He sees me so little that he notices all these little changes that he never noticed when he saw me all the time.
C: I think we are the job.
E: Thinking about this. Well, wait a minute. I feel a bit ripped off, though. I did not get a ring or cake or honeymoon out of either of these relationships. And we all know those are the three main reasons to get married...plus presents and a dress.

J: I am afraid I have some bad news...
E: WHAT?
J: Well, I caught Maddie in the act. She killed one of your ornaments.
E: Which ornament?
J: I don't really know. So far I have found a wing, a beak, and some stuffing. So it appears to be from the bird family.
E: Where?
J: It's everywhere. The carnage is everywhere.
E: But you can't tell which bird it is?
J: No. I am sorry. We may have to pull dental records. 

Today's text to Jeremiah:
E: Please don't forget to pick up our prescriptions. (At 12:01)
E: Oh, and a pizza. (12:02)
E: Also a pony. (12:03)

Have a great weekend, Friends! If you have any suggestions that may help minimize my snot, please let me know.

I Know Why the Chicken Crossed the Road.

I spent last week at Grammar Camp.

Stop laughing. I really did.

If you are imagining a camp that focuses solely on grammar - you would be imagining correctly.

If you are imagining me so absolutely in my element that I was sad to leave at the end - you would be imagining correctly.

This is the second time I have been sent to Camp. I am not sure if it is compliment that I am being sent. They might just be trying to get rid of me. They know that I won't turn down the opportunity to increase my nerdiness.

Camp was held on the third floor of a building across town. While waiting for a session to start, I looked out a window on to a neighborhood across the parking lot. There were beautiful mature trees and lush landscaping. I was jealous. As I watched this neighborhood from my window, I SAW A CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD. I thought, "What the eff. Is this a joke?" No. Seriously. One single chicken. Crossing the road.

I just feel as though my life is complete. I have seen it all.

Also, any time someone starts the joke "Why did the chicken cross the road?", which is a joke that you hear a lot when you teach in an elementary school,  I can tell them that I have seen the chicken cross the road and I know what her goal was. I know her motivation.

The damn thing just wanted to get to the other side.


Anyone else feel that their life is complete? Seen something unbelievable?

p.s. One of my students gave me a picture upon my return. It is a picture of me looking a bit bottom-heavy but well-dressed (tell it like it is, sister) and I am yelling in all caps "I LOVE MY CLASS!" and I am smiling and I am CRYING. I did not notice the tears until after the girl left but now I am curious why I am so happy that blue tears fall freely down my face.

p.p.s. There is a noise that has been coming from my ceiling since I moved into this new room. It happens every few minutes. It sounds like a giant guillotine chopping off someone's head. It is honestly the most gruesome noise you can imagine. So I sent a note to the principal letting her know that they might have accidentally installed a guillotine on the roof above my room and that it was loud and distracting and perhaps it was not in the students' best interest to have an instrument of torture at an elementary school. Please would they look into moving it or silencing it?

I will let you know what she says. I bet she sends me away to camp again.

FtVF - It's Always Darkest Before the Dawn.

I have a theme song this year. It is what gets me out the door in the morning on bad days. Jeremiah will actually play it to get me moving.  I sing the chorus to myself. I pump myself up by playing it in the car.

Here's the From the Vault part...
At Record Store Day in April, I picked up a Florence and the Machine single. I like to pick one album that I am not too sure of and check it out.

When we got home, I had Jeremiah put it on the record player (I refuse to touch the record player out of fear of breaking it.) and I immediately fell in love with the song.

It is captivating. It has never failed to release me from whatever funk I have fallen into. I dance, I sing, it's a beautiful thing, if only to me.  You know how Phoebe runs like a child on Friends? That's how I dance and sing to this. Completely free. Slightly possessed. 

If you are lucky enough to have already heard the song and/or you know Flo, then I welcome you to sing along. And dance. I won't judge you.




If you are already wanting more, here is my second favorite song. Not my anthem, but fun all the same. This song results in a lot of clapping if I am in the car and a lot of jumping if I am able to stand.

Dog Days are Over


Happy Friday, Friends.

Anyone else have an anthem? Please share.

There's Something Different About You...

A friend/coworker came up to me while I was ushering my students to the bathrooms or special or whatever. She looked a bit different, but I could not put my finger on it.

I was all, "Buffy, are you okay?" (Not that her real name is Buffy, but wouldn't that be cool to have a friend named Buffy?)

She started laughing. But only on half her face. The right side remained stoic.

"Are you drunk?" I whispered, even though my students were well out of ear shot. And even though if Buffy was drinking at 9:45 in the morning, I might have to stage an intervention.

Nope. Not drunk. But she's still smiling. It's like I'm conversing with The Joker.

"Did you have a stroke? Can you raise your right arm? Say a coherent sentence for me." I demanded.

No. She did not stroke out. Still laughing. Sort of. Business on the right side, party on the left.

"Botox?" I asked intrigued.

No. But now that I know she's not in danger of a stroke, a victim of bad Botox, or in need of intervention,  I'm laughing hysterically and tears are welling up in my eyes and I'm starting to wheeze. Damn the asthma to hell.

My students are looking back at me like I am crazy. Only because they can't see Miss Buffy's face. Because if they could, surely she would be the one getting quizzical stares.

Apparently Buffy's dentist is fond of the numbing injections before doing work. She was brave enough to come in to work afterwards. I don't think I would have been that brave.

She even sent me a picture of herself that I keep on my phone, so when I am sad or need a smile, I can look at it and laugh.

I am a horrible friend, aren't I?

Six more days of school!

FtVF - Horsing Around

I make no beef about Vault Fridays. Mostly they are for me. Mostly I like to look back at these pictures. Plus I know that some of the people that I care for most might like a look back as well. In fact, some of these pictures might be new to them.

So into the vault.

For those unaware, Jeremiah's parents have a farm. A big fat farm. I LOVE it. They stock the freezer full of frozen treats, they have horses, plus lots of room to breathe. It's great. The few times that I have been able to visit, we ride the horses.

When I was younger I took lessons and I loved it. I am always telling Jeremiah that I would love a horse. And a goat. And a pig. Mostly his response is silence. Which is okay. I bet he's just thinking how much he would like those things, too.

Right?

Anyway, these pictures are from 2006 and (I think) 2007. I am not one hundred percent sure about the black and whites.

I got the brown horse. And the dog. I LOVED Sparky.

Jeremiah got Angel.

Absolute, one-hundred percent pure joy - The horses eager to get back to the barn. The home stretch. A fantastic memory. I still remember how much fun I had on this strip of land.

Different year. Same horses. And I just want to let you know that I am NOT naked. My clothes are just pastel. Blue shorts, blue tank. Not naked.

Remember how I said that Jeremiah always managed to catch some pictures of me that I really like? This is one of them. I LOVED hanging out in the barn, spending time with the horses. I especially like it when they nuzzled/nudged me for a treat. 

And that's about it. I've been trying to dig up some old pictures on the old computer, and I'm a bit overwhelmed. But loving it.

Wakey, Wakey Part 3 - The Final Episode

The final part of the trip lands us in Petrified National Forest. All my normal exaggerations aside, this place was incredible. Humbling.  I might have gushed a bit. Jeremiah's response to my gushing? "Dirt is 225 million years old. Do you feel humbled by dirt?" I think he was just cranky because he had been driving so long.

We started at the park entrance and then headed through, following the map and narrow road for the twenty-eight (?) mile route. At first we didn't see much petrification of wood around us and I was getting miffed. We only had an hour before the park closed and I was feeling discouraged. The painted mountains were gorgeous, though. So some perks.

In the above picture, I'm not sure if there was a fire and the stuff on the rocks was ashy stuff or if it was mossy stuff. Didn't really seem to be an environment conducive to moss.

This was totally intimidating to drive next to. Especially when you could see huge boulders that had already slid down the side.

Finally on the side of the road, I saw some petrified wood. I screeched to Jeremiah that he should "Stop the damn car!" and I hopped out and took some pictures.

All around the chunks of petrified wood are little (pocket-sized) pieces. I have never in my life wanted to steal as badly as I did at these moments. I'd get back in the car and Jeremiah would say, "Did you put some in your pocket?" All accusingly like. My response was "Do I look happy like I just stole something? No. I do not." Jeremiah's nature/park motto is "Leave only footprints, take only memories." which is posted at Effie Yeaw near where he lived in California. So he is my annoying conscience. Not that I would really steal, but holy crap it is tempting to take a piece of 225 million year old history.

The pieces don't look huge, but they are:

A little background for you:

We stopped at this tourist shop to get a postcard for my grandma. I get her a postcard on every trip I take.

We spent the night in a shady hotel. I actually saw a man smoking a non-plant-based material in a pipe outside while I was waiting for Jeremiah to get our room. I have never hopped over into a driver's seat so fast in my life. Seriously, I could have won a medal. I wanted to be able to leave the scene if I needed to.

I should mention that the dogs did fine on the travels, but it would have been much easier to travel without them, especially Spike. In the car, fine. In the hotel, barking. Not so great. Although, I don't think that that was the biggest concern with regards to our hotel.

The next day we headed for home, this time through Flag.

We are celebrating our 100 year birthday this year in Arizona.

Liars. Big fat ugly liars. I didn't even believe them on the way home. I scoffed at their signs.

I might have screamed a bit on the way home. Mountain driving is a beast. You are right next to the rail, where you can see little crosses put up in memory of those who did not make it back down the mountain.

Plus, you can see the semis heading north UP the mountain. One wrong move, and you are toast. I hope those drivers think about that. My life is in their hands.

When they redid the highway, they decorated/arranged the rocks to make it look pretty.

Here's our sign celebrating Arizona's birthday. Palm trees replace the mountains from the earlier shot.

Home sweet home.

Anyone else take any trips lately?

p.s. Dairy Queen story - On the way home, we stopped at a DQ that we visit nearly every time we head up to Flag/Sedona/Jerome/Wherever. The guy asked us if we wanted dog dishes. They were free, he told us. Not knowing exactly what a dog dish was, we said yes anyway. Mostly because I am in love with free stuff. He gave each of the dogs their own little dish of ice cream. Good Lord, those were some happy dogs. Spike was like the owl in the Tootsie Roll commercial, where the owl says "How many licks to the center of a tootsie roll pop? One, two, three!" and then the owl bites the pop. Spike took about three licks and then just ate the whole ice cream at once. Atticus, on the other hand, did delicate little licks while sitting on my lap. He kept looking up at me and his little whiskers and chin had ice cream all over. Took him a good five minutes. So cute.

Happy Anniversary!

Jeremiah and I have officially been together for six years.

Holy crap, that's a long time.

We had an anniversary weekend, which is fun. Always extend holidays and celebrations to allow for maximum good times and good eats.

On Saturday, we started up the fun by walking to the neighbor's house down the road and begging for permission to take pictures of his cactus. It only flowers once a year and the blooms last only for a day or so. I had a lot of fun taking pictures, but there were a ton of bees.

Like, a whole bee colony.

I had to go to a happy place while I took the pictures. I tried to not think about what might have happened if I got stung. I'm sure that there would be an allergic reaction.

 So I just took a deep breath and then I did not take any more breaths after that. Okay, so maybe I did breathe after that, but I tried my best to remember everything I read in The Secret Life of Bees. So I respected the bees. I wasn't making any sudden movements.

 I think the bees had their own things going on, anyway.

After the near-death experience, we drove to Goodwill to return a shirt and Salvation Army to buy books for ONE QUARTER EACH. Seriously. I got five books.

At this point, I mentioned to Jeremiah that a friend had suggested we go to this park and he agreed that it sounded worth checking out. In all honesty, it did not matter what he thought, but it always helps when one comes along willingly. It's like with my students. You need to make them think they have a choice.

Kidding, Jeremiah.

All of the roses at the park were in bloom - it was gorgeous. The second that we got out of the car, the smell of roses and orange blossoms hit us. Very fragrant.

The historic part of the park focuses on these old buildings at the ranch. Something like 13 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms. 

 Mostly I just took pictures. I did not really look around the buildings much. Most of the people were focusing their attentions on the buildings and plus there were a lot of kids running around. The human kind, not the goat kind. So I stayed near the roses.

 They smelled fabulous.

 At one point I heard "Cocka-doodle-doo" or whatever it is that chickens make and I got cold & sweaty. Freaking HATE chickens. They are the scariest bird, am I right?

 The peacock was a bit full of himself, sitting on the picnic table and making the weird peacock noises. Since I am incapable of making or typing chicken noises for you, I won't even attempt the peacock noise.

On our way out, I snagged a picture of the cool arch over the road entering the park.

We then went to Smashburger, where we treated ourselves to sandwiches, milkshakes, rosemary & garlic seasoned fries, and a split order of fried pickles. We aren't really fried food type people, so this was a bit of a test on our digestive systems. One of our systems held up, the other one failed later in the evening. Too much information. I know.

Ooh, we also hung a chandy in my studio! I picked it out a few weeks ago and yesterday it went up. It looks fantastic and the second I take my camera upstairs I'll get some pictures posted.

What did everyone else do this weekend?

P.S. I am starting to watermark some of my pictures. Lately I have had people image searching certain pictures on the blog. I'm cool with the looking, but not the taking. I'm possessive. I don't share with others very well.

p.p.s. I just found my old pictures of us throughout our couple-dom. Not you and I. Jeremiah and I.

Here goes:

Once we had been dating long enough, I made Jeremiah get rid of these jeans. Not all jeans are created equal, and these poor jeans were...no words. I have no words.

Kayaking.

We ate here. One year later, we ate at the same place and I was sick for two days. It's like this picture was a premonition of what was to come.  I am not sure if it was related to the food or not, but I will never go back.

First of all, I might be bossy about my camera. Secondly, this guy won't win any photography awards. That's one of my favorite coats, just fyi.

Tahoe.

This was the next year, after I had eaten pizza of death. I had spent two days in the bathroom. The frown might be because I am facing the sun, or it might be because I am wondering where the nearest bathroom is. Jeremiah looks good, though. This is after I started dressing him.

Jeremiah took me up north in CA so I would not miss Michigan's fall season. We picked pumpkins.

Jeremiah looks like a naughty little boy. I can't believe he made me put that damn hat on.

I'm posting this one because I think Jeremiah looks GOOD. My ensemble was a last minute scramble after he announced a surprise trip to Tahoe. Leaving Phoenix I had not packed for the snow, JEREMIAH. That's not even my coat. That is my hat, though. Ear infections, remember?

That's Gotta Be Worth at Least One Doubloon.

Who doesn't love a Goonies/Friends reference?

A conversation with a relative this weekend really got me thinking. She is replacing a gold crown (for a tooth, not the head. Bummer, I know, because I would LOVE to have a royal blood line coursing through my veins. Sadly? No.) for a tooth colored one. I was all, "You TOTALLY have to keep that gold crown!" The response was that it was only worth about five dollars. And then I explained that after the crown replacement the chauffeur (another relative) could take her to the bakery where she could get some cake.

Everyone knows that cake is good for you after you go to the dentist.

Plus, I explained, there is the added bonus of being able to buy the cake with the GOLD.

I can see it now. The cake lady (here's one of my favorite bakeries) would say "That will be five dollars and fifty-two cents".

Then there will be a pause as the gold crown is pulled out with a "Here's five, now let me find some change..."

OR -

Taking the gold into another store and pointing at the sign that says "Cash, Debit, and Credit accepted here" and asking them if they also accept gold crowns.

Because that would be hilarious and awesome all at once, right?

In my head, I picture these scenes vividly. Maybe not so much for you, Friends. But honestly? I laughed about this until I cried. And then I told Jeremiah, who was like, "You know, my dad switched out his crowns (again, for the teeth, not the head. Bummer.) and he got like fifty dollars." and I was all, "Jeremiah. You can get a shit-ton of cake for fifty dollars!"And then I laughed some more. And then I wanted some cake.

But that's just me.

Wakey Wakey, Part Two

I told Jeremiah that I was trapped. I think that freaked him out, but that was how I felt. I just needed to go somewhere. I was tired of being here in Phoenix. I needed to move.

So a few weeks ago, we started planning. Time-wise, Jeremiah would only be able to take a few days off. Plus, the dogs. And cats. We decided the dogs would come with us and the cats would stay home. It took forever, but we also decided (the morning of) that we would be heading towards Petrified Forest National Park. I'd wanted to go since I drove past it with my dad nearly six years ago. Plus, that way we could stop in Winslow, Arizona.

We woke up on Tuesday, packed a suitcase (plus books, maps, guides, gps, etc.), packed supplies for the dogs, and took off to the gas station. Holy crap, gas got expensive, didn't it?

Anyway, being that my car is still new to me, I wasn't keen on the idea of Jeremiah driving. So I drove. About ninety miles. Then we hit the hills/mountains and I was screaming and white-knuckling the steering wheel and my eyes were closed and Jeremiah was all, "Um, maybe it's time I drive. You know, for the safety of the four lives in this car." So I pulled over at a small gas station and he took over.

For the rest of the trip.

Be careful what you wish for, babe.

Anyway, here we go on our picture journey.

First, we decided that if the dogs were comfortable, we probably would be happier, too. So we packed the dog bed that they love. 

Atticus is wearing his harness. I LOVE this harness, as it is breathable and does not cause him to lose fur or get red, irritated skin.

Seeing snow in AZ is pretty much the highlight of any trip. I get way too excited.

 So this sign just ticks me off. I kept saying to Jeremiah, "Any minute now, we're going to see one of those beasts - an elk or moose or whatever that is!!!" and guess what, Friends? We never did. Not one. Except at one point I think I might have seen one. It shall now be infamously referred to as "The Elk Shrub". And stop laughing Jeremiah, it totally could have been an elk. You don't know.

 Friends, I know for a fact that I've posted pictures of the tall grass like this before. But it seriously is so cool and I just love it.

Jeremiah: This is one long straight-ass road. Emily: Yes it is! I am going to take another picture!

 And then we reached a point where it was flat, with orange ground and blue sky. It was kind of awesome.

 The scene in the backseat looked like this. How can you not MELT when you see that little face?

Way out in the middle of nowhere, we passed this building. I guessed prison, because what a perfect place for criminals. If you escape, you're screwed. There's nothing else out here. I guessed right. I always do.

 We reached Winslow, Arizona. We stopped and GPS'ed the exact corner of Jackson Browne. I am not at all ashamed to share that we totally touristed it up.

"Standing on the corner of Winslow, Arizona..."

I was all, "Let's stay there on the way back!"

 Okay. We passed this HUGE HUGE HUGE power plant. I think it was nuclear. I am not sure. I CAN tell you with certainty that I prayed for it not to explode the entire time it was in sight. It was way intimidating. I didn't care for it.

But I did love the tacky dinosaurs and made Jeremiah slow way down. The street next to this was named Bloody Bucket Street, which I am pretty sure is the most awesome street name EVER.

We could have stayed here, too. But we did not. I am glad. When we stopped for gas next door on the way home I saw drunks stumbling back from the bar. Not my scene.

This is my scene. And I have a DQ story for the next part of this picture trip.

 We are going to end here for today. Mostly because I am tired of explaining each picture. And a little because PNF is so cool it doesn't deserve to be with my pictures of tacky touristy stuff. Although I can't promise that some of that won't sneak into the next post.